


Story III: (Not-so) Vampire-Wannabe(s)

by seerstella



Series: Eternalizing the Moon: Daisuke's Story [3]
Category: Japanese Actor RPF, Takumi-kun Series, Tenimyu RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Fight Scenes, Implied BabaNai, Implied DaiMao, M/M, Puns and References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2018-12-14 11:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 18,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11782395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seerstella/pseuds/seerstella
Summary: In which Daisuke discovers a lot of things: hatred, Theater Sun Mall, vengeance, friends, a skilled fighter, and a motorcycle.





	1. After Five Months

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story. No offense intended to the real people written here.
> 
> Hullo. Welcome to the third installment of Eternalizing the Moon Series! This takes time five months after the end of the second story, and has a bit of MinaKei/Doori and a pairing we all know. Not DaiMao, tho, for they still haven’t met each other. But they’ll be implied, don’t fret, because DaiMao is endgame XD
> 
> Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After five months, Daisuke has a feeling that something isn't right.

.

.

.

Not much changed after the incident with the vampire community in Tokyo.

A week after Minami had officially joined their circle of friends, Daisuke was back to the filming of his first TV series, the one that made him a soccer player. He was used to the small fame he’d obtained thanks to that, and enjoyed it every time a fan greeted him or asked for his autograph. He was still a frequent visitor to Vampire-Wannabe’s rehearsals, earning him the nickname of ‘Unofficial Buchou’ and ‘Tezuka 4th Generation’. He also went to the backstage after every TeniMyu performances he could watch, much to the boys’ joy.

Speaking about TeniMyu performances, Ryuuki was finally using the old Echizen racket, which was, apparently, better than the one he had been using. Minami and Doori had dropped by at one rehearsal, and the former Echizen had apologized—with Vampire-Wannabe glaring in the background, much to Daisuke’s amusement—for getting it ‘mixed up when he’s going out with the 3rd Generation Seigaku’.

“You can stop killing Kei-chan and Doori-kun with your eyes now,” Daisuke had told Vampire-Wannabe after Ryuuki had received the old racket and was bouncing happily towards his teammates. “At least the racket is back to Echizen, where it belongs.”

Vampire-Wannabe had grunted, which amused Daisuke even more. He’d sounded exactly like the character he was portraying. “Whatever,” he’d muttered, rubbing sweat off his face with his hand. “I just don’t like that they’re so careless.”

“According to you, they’ve ‘let their guard down’.”

It’d sent the current Tezuka into peals of laughter, the previous annoyance disappeared. “Indeed.”

* * *

The first time Daisuke didn’t find Vampire-Wannabe in the rehearsal was a few days after their Dream Live, five months after Minami joined their circle of friends. It was a novelty, for he came after dinnertime instead of in the morning or afternoons. He’d intended to go straight home after filming, but he was so used of visiting the Seigaku team that he found himself in the familiar rehearsal venue before he knew it.

Instead of his friend, Shouta was the one who greeted him, along with Ebo, while the other Seigaku team members were out to buy some drink. Daisuke needed a second to recognize Ebo; his face looked strange without his Inui glasses. “Hello, Daisuke-san. In case you’re looking for our Buchou, he’s with the Hyoutei guys.”

“Hyoutei?” Daisuke had seen them, but never talked to any of the team members in person.

Shouta’s expression brightened. “Maybe this time we’ll get Naito-chan’s chocolate candy!” he exclaimed happily.

Ebo looked at the Kikumaru actor with exasperation before turning to Daisuke. “He’s in the back if you want to see him. Today we’re having joint practice with Hyoutei, so you can meet every single one of them if you want to.”

“Alright.”

“If you ask me,” Shouta commented. “I think those two like each other.”

“Who?”

“Buchou and Naito-chan. Ryuu-chan saw them once, Ikkou caught them riding together on a motorbike, and there was that chocolate candy. Was quite a ruckus, that bag of candy. You, Ebo-kun, were the one who couldn’t stop pestering him about it. Ueshima-sensei almost killed you for bantering over it that we almost missed an hour of practice.”

Ebo shrugged. “Don’t blame me. That’s one hell of a candy, and you weren’t keeping your silence either. Me and Aki are doing that for the others’ sake as well, don’t you forget that.”

Daisuke had heard about the chocolate candy from Ryuuki, but never knew the length of it. “He never tells me this.”

“Really?” The current Inui stared at him in surprise, but then he turned to Shouta with a triumphant smirk. “See? Even Daisuke-san doesn’t know about it, so your theory’s not true. They’re just friends, Shouta-kun. You should stop imagining things and setting people up with each other.”

Shouta looked offended, and he shoved his fellow actor. They continued to banter, which ended with Ebo gaining the upper hand by offering Shouta his famous Inui Juice. Daisuke decided to leave them alone and excused himself, which they barely heard. He went to the back, as instructed, and found the one he was looking for.

Vampire-Wannabe was not alone. A mop of brown hair and light blue/white jersey showed Daisuke who that was, despite the fact that that person had his back turned to him. Daisuke flattened himself against the wall, trying to make himself invisible.

“Baba-chan, what do you think?”

Whatever Naito showed his friend must’ve been satisfying, because Vampire-Wannabe grinned widely at that. “I really like it when you do that, but maybe it’s just me.”

“I like doing it too, truth be told, since I found out about it.”

“Nice. Listen, I’m sorry about that, okay? I know you don’t want me to, but I still feel that I should replace what I’ve lost. Those are quite valuable, right?”

Naito shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. As long as you used that for the right thing, I don’t mind. Besides, I still have a lot of it at home, Baba-chan. Nobody’ll notice some of them missing. You have my word. So will you please stop nagging me about it?”

Vampire-Wannabe sighed. “Fine, fine.” To Daisuke’s surprise, he lifted his hand and tucked Naito’s brown hair behind his ears. It was quite an affectionate act, which made him wonder because he'd never seen his friend acting like that. “I think the guys’ll be back in a while. Go back to Masa and the others, Taiki-kun, practice’s starting soon.”

“See you later, Baba-chan!”

Naito walked away happily, humming to himself, towards where Daisuke was standing. He hid himself behind a pile of boxes, and watched as the actor entered the hall. Apparently his given name was Taiki. Where did he hear that name?

 

_Silver coin, thrown up and down. Up and down._

_“Taiki-kun’ll kill me if I can’t return this one.”_

 

Right. He was the one who owned the silver items Vampire-Wannabe used to protect himself.

Daisuke frowned. Something didn’t feel right here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Masa and the others' is a reference to Masahiro Inoue (Hyoutei B's Keigo Atobe) and his teammates.
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	2. Silver Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke is expected in a photo shoot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just done IELTS. Here's something to make people's days better. Enjoy!

Business took Daisuke’s mind away from Vampire-Wannabe and his Hyoutei friend, and it returned a day before one of his photo sessions. His manager, Tatsuya Kinoshita, had approached him with a huge smile on his face as if the sky had rained golden on him. Daisuke watched him in amusement, while wondering what made him so happy.

“This is the first time we got this kind of photo shoot!” the man exclaimed in joy. “I really owe Okamoto-san for this.”

“Who’s Okamoto-san?” Daisuke asked from his seat in the meeting room of the management.

“He’s the owner of Theater Sun Mall, the one who recommended you for this photo shoot to promote a new jewelry line!” Kinoshita pulled out a picture, which was the set of jewels Daisuke had to wear in the upcoming photo shoot. Necklace, earrings, rings, and even a pair of anklets. Daisuke had to admit those were beautiful. “This will certainly get you even more well-known, Daisuke-san.”

Daisuke eyed the photo with a frown, and realized what he was supposed to do.

* * *

Later that night, _Daisuke_ was the one who barged into Vampire-Wannabe’s house. It was funny, because he arrived earlier than the owner of the apartment—lucky him for the spare key they had over each other’s houses—and that made him realize how _ungodly_ TeniMyu’s practice hours were.

“I think it’s fair,” Vampire-Wannabe told him after he took a swig of his beer. “I came to you, and now you came to me in the middle of the night. We’re even.”

“I won’t bother you too long,” Daisuke promised, which was replied by a shake of the head.

“Oh, shut it, Dai-chan. You can sleep on the floor if you like, since you told me I can’t even _afford_ a sofa.”

Daisuke snorted, bouncing on the couch. It was nothing near Minami’s, but it was still something. “I see you finally have one. Anyway, I need to tell you something. May I?”

“Since when do you ask for permission?” Vampire-Wannabe grinned at him, his face flushed. Not wanting him to be completely wasted, Daisuke nonchalantly took away the remaining alcohol, and rolled his eyes when the human glared at him.

“I’m wearing silver in the next photo shoot two days from now.”

The grin vanished as the human sobered up instantly. “No kidding.”

As an answer, Daisuke threw the picture his manager had given him onto the table. Vampire-Wannabe picked it and he frowned when he was finished eyeing the photo as if it were going to burn. “Is he stupid, your manager? Have you told him that you’re allergic to silver or something? There are some people who have that, so he’ll believe you.”

Daisuke eyed him sheepishly. “I forgot to tell him that. At first, I thought it wasn’t important because I might have the right to choose what I wanna wear.”

“And you didn’t tell him _then_? This morning, I mean.”

“How could I? The contract has been signed!” Despite Daisuke’s protests, Vampire-Wannabe still looked like he was going to throw something at him. “Apparently I have no choice in this matter…”

“No.”

“What?”

“No… can I take the picture?”

“Well… sure.” Daisuke was confused, but gave out the picture. “What are you gonna do about it?”

“I don’t know. Lemme come up with something, but before that I need some sleep first. There’s no way I won’t help you, Dai-chan.” Vampire-Wannabe grinned at him mischievously and left for bed, leaving Daisuke open-mouthed on his couch.

He had a feeling that something was bound to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a filler chapter, but it seems that I can't get it longer. Don't worry, things will look up in the next chapter.
> 
> Okamoto-san is Hideo Okamoto, the owner of Theater Sun Mall. Tatsuya Kinoshita is Daisuke’s manager. They are not mine; they belong to Princess Serenity-chan. 
> 
> Look! I’m starting to use some characters from the original story, does this mean we’re getting closer to it? Just stay tuned! 
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	3. Devious Replacement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone strange helps Daisuke in his time of need.

Two days later, Daisuke was anxious as hell when he stepped into the place where the photo session would be held. Sometimes he cursed the fact that he looked so cool; people would never believe that he could feel nervous every once in a while. He looked around and saw Kinoshita, who was talking animatedly with the photographer.

“There he is! Come, come, Daisuke-san.”

With a sigh, the actor followed his manager towards the dressing room. He didn’t complain when they shoved the extravagant clothing on him, but when the jewelries were put out, he decided to open his mouth.

“Er, excuse me, but—”

“Yes, Watanabe-san?” After she was done applying the make-up on Daisuke’s face, the make-up artist slid a silver ring into his thumb with adoration on her expression. To his dismay, Daisuke felt his strength deflating almost immediately. He wondered whether he could pass this day in one piece, because they were barely starting. He was so nervous he forgot to drink his usual stash of retail blood, which made things worse.

“I—”

The door opened, and a dark-haired young man walked in. He was wearing T-Shirt and jeans, and in his hand was a small bag. “Hello there, Hana-san, Daisuke-san. I’m sorry for intruding, but I should be the one who put it on him.”

The make-up artist stared at him confusedly. “Are you from the jewelry line? I was hoping that you’ll be… more mature.”

“Yes. I might be young, but I know what I’m doing, or they won’t trust me with this job.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest, showing stubbornness. Daisuke could see the rings around his two fingers, as if telling him that he was used of this kind of profession. “So, are you done, Hana-san? You do know that I have orders to put this on him… _in private_.”

The last two words were said in a manner that made Daisuke even more nervous. The young man didn’t look threatening at all, with his short black hair highlighted by brown. He might be around Shouta’s age, late teens or early twenties. What made Daisuke wonder was the fact that he had _a feeling_ that he’d seen this guy before but didn’t know when, or where.

Hana frowned, but the young man kept his gaze on her, trying to look convincing. Eventually she stood and left with a questioning glance. After she closed the door behind her, he made a beeline towards Daisuke, who was still sitting in front of the mirror.

“Really, Daisuke-san, you should have an assistant for this. One day, I won’t be able to do this anymore.”

“Who are you?”

“You don’t know me? Oh, man. To make long story short… Baba-chan sent me here. You’re lucky Hyoutei’s taking a break until late afternoon, Daisuke-san. By the time you’re done, I’ll be far away from here.”

Realization dawned on Daisuke. “Jirou?”

The young man laughed out loud. “Taiki Naito’s more like it,” he said. “Hurry, we don’t have much time. Where are the rest of those jewels?”

Daisuke pointed at a box on the vanity, and Naito opened it. “Nice,” he muttered.

“What are you doing?”

Naito opened his bag and pulled out _the exact same jewelries_ with the ones Daisuke had to wear. “Wear these,” he commanded, tossing the necklace and rings to Daisuke’s hand. He set the rest in the box in the similar way as the original one. Daisuke stared at the box; if one’s not keen enough, they looked just the same.

“But—”

“Listen, Daisuke-san, we don’t have much time.” Naito, with a sigh, stuffed the real jewelries into his bag and approached the vampire. “I know what you are, so just wear them, okay?”

Daisuke obliged in slow motion, still astonished. He replaced the ring on his finger with the one Naito gave him, and was immensely relieved that his strength returned. “Did Vamp—I mean Ryouma tell you? About what I am?”

“No, actually. He never tells anything like that to anyone, especially about his friend.” Naito picked the silver ring and put it inside his bag. Clicking his tongue, he knelt and put on the anklet around Daisuke’s foot. “Save that for later. Now, listen to me, Daisuke-san. After you’re done, get back here immediately and tell them that _I_ have to take these off in private, just like what we’re doing now. I’ll be around to return the real jewelry to the box, because I don’t want you to get sick by holding it. Do you get me?”

Daisuke nodded, still awed over the plan Vampire-Wannabe and his new friend had crafted.

“Nice,” Naito commented, and picked the necklace from Daisuke’s hand. “Lemme do that for you.”

As he clasped the necklace around Daisuke’s neck, the vampire had the chance to smell him. What he discovered made him frown.

The scent wasn’t quite human.

* * *

“And so he replaced the silver with fake jewels until I was done. Something’s weird about that Naito guy, I’m sure of it,” Daisuke ended his rant, walking back and forth, a few hours after the photo shoot. “I trust Ryouma enough not to babble, so how did Naito-kun know about me? We haven’t even met each other yet!”

“The only possibility,” Minami drawled from his comfortable couch, “is that BabaRyo _indeed_ told him about you.”

“Can you find out about him, Kei-chan?”

“Well, I certainly can come up with something,” Minami replied, playing with his empty glass. A few minutes ago, his beloved donor’s blood had filled half of it. “But we should start by confirming what you’ve found about this Naito, Dai-chan, since I’m not sure you’re capable enough in scent recognition.”

Daisuke stared at him, obviously offended. Minami shrugged.

“You couldn’t even recognize _me_ , Dai-chan, when we first met,” the younger vampire argued. “Or when you were in the nightclub, the only thing you know was that the place smelled _different_. You don’t know how _exactly_ a vampire smells like. I can’t blame you, to be honest. You’ve never met a vampire as far as you can remember.”

“…right. You’re right,” Daisuke replied in defeat. “This is why I asked for your help.”

“I know. So… do you have some time to spare next week?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome, Naito a.k.a a strange-smelled Jirou. What's going on with him? Just stay tuned!
> 
> 'Naito wearing rings' is a reference to Takumi-kun 4: Pure making.
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	4. Sniff, Sniff, It's a Seigaku Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amidst the 5th and 3rd Seigaku reunion, Daisuke and Minami come to a conclusion: Naito is a strange fellow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite chapter title XD  
> Enjoy!

Daisuke watched—a week after his conversation with Minami—Ryuuki and Doori chatting excitedly in a corner, while the current Golden Pair tried their moves with the previous one, Takiguchi and Seto. When Minami said he was going to meet up with the current Seigaku, Daisuke never thought that he’d actually bring _his own Seigaku_ together with him. He even came with Aiba, the guy who’d once helped the current Seigaku as Fuji before he was replaced.

“At first I want to drag Kato-san and his team to surprise Hyoutei B,” Minami explained in a low voice after he managed to escape Vampire-Wannabe’s endless chattering. After all this time, he still fawned over Minami. “But I guess they have their own schedule.”

“Where are they?”

“Who?”

“Hyoutei B,” Daisuke answered. “I’ve never seen all of them outside the stage.”

“Beats me. But if the practice’s the same as mine, they’ll be here soon. Don’t worry, Dai-chan, I can handle this.”

“Whatever, ex-Buchou.”

Minami shoved him playfully. They continued to banter until the door opened and Aiba’s happy squeal was heard.

“Hello there, Takuya’s successor!”

Nobody had the chance to react as the longest serving TeniMyu actor made his way towards Naito, who was staring at him with a smile on his face. “How does it feel to play Akutagawa?” Aiba asked, grinning. “Takuya really wants to come but something apparently holds him back. You’ll be able to see him someday, don’t you worry.”

“That’s the guy?” Minami whispered. Daisuke nodded.

Practice started not long after, and the third generation Seigaku watched in the corner, along with Daisuke. Sometimes one of them would be called, and they’d demonstrate the correct dance moves to help their juniors. At some point, Minami nudged Daisuke, implicitly told him to stand. Daisuke obliged, but not without confusion.

“This bench is too small for all of us,” Minami told his own teammates. “You guys can stay here, me and Dai-chan’ll move to the Hyoutei one.”

“We can move, Buchou, so you can stay here with Daisuke-san,” Masei, the previous Inui, reassured. “I think Takki won’t mind joining Setomaru on the floor. Right, Takki? Our roles ending doesn’t mean you can stop joining yourselves on the hip!”

Takki—short for Yukihiro Takiguchi, played Oishi in Minami’s reign—turned to his friend and rolled his eyes. Still, he moved and sat down on the floor, next to his former Golden Pair partner. Minami eyed them with a smirk on his face as the rest of former Seigaku laughed.

“The sooner those two stop beating the bush, the better,” he murmured before taking Daisuke to the Hyoutei bench. It was empty, and thus they settled comfortably on it. They watched the rehearsal in silence, before one of the Hyoutei boys separated himself from his group and went towards the bench.

It was Naito.

Daisuke could see Minami straightened on his seat, his expression hardened. If only he were wearing a Seigaku jacket right now! Daisuke shrugged and decided to play the nice guy.

“Hello there, Naito-kun.”

“Hi there, Daisuke-san, Minami-san.” The current narcoleptic Hyoutei actor bent down and grabbed his water bottle near Minami’s foot. “Thank you for bringing the old Seigaku, it makes our day. Why are you two sitting on our bench, by the way?”

Daisuke only tilted his head towards the Seigaku bench, which was full of the third generation actors, cheering and chatting amongst themselves. Naito smiled in understanding before devouring the liquid in the bottle. “We’re good here,” Daisuke said eventually.

“I can see that. Minami-san, are you okay? You look like Tez, do I need to call Baba-chan?”

Minami maintained the stoic expression for a few seconds before returning to his real self. “It’s okay, Naito-kun. I’m just observing the current Seigaku.”

To their amazement, Naito laughed. “Whatever, Minami-san, I know what you want to do.”

“Eh?”

“I won’t make things hard for you.” Naito tied his hair with his hand, turned, and knelt before them. Daisuke frowned and wondered why on earth this guy was presenting his nape to them. He glanced at Minami who blinked and bent forward, knowing exactly what he was doing.

 

_Shouts in the nightclub._

_Vampire-Wannabe on top of Daisuke._

_Minami bending down and sniffing on his nape._

 

It clicked.

“How do you know?” Daisuke asked, his voice no higher than a whisper. “How do you know _so much_ , Naito-kun?”

Naito merely stared at him and smirked. Minami leaned back, his expression unreadable. Daisuke watched the two of them, baffled. “What? What’s going on, Kei-chan?”

“Oi, Naito-chan!”

The three of them snapped out of their world. Daisuke looked up to see two Hyoutei boys grinning at their direction. He couldn’t remember their names, and they looked weird without their make-up and jersey. That was when Daisuke realized that Naito’s hair was longer and brown, exactly like Jirou’s and nothing like the boy who’d helped him with the silver jewelries.

“What is it, Sei?” Naito yelled, but didn’t even move.

“Are you asking for Minami-san to braid your hair?” the guy, Sei, asked back. “I thought you’re getting under the new Buchou’s pants, not the old one!”

At that remark, Daisuke hurriedly scanned the room to find his friend. Vampire-Wannabe was blushing to the root of his hair and he turned back so Daisuke could no longer see his face. He wondered if their relationship was really like what he’d thought earlier, and that Shouta was indeed right. As a response, Naito picked the nearest water bottle and threw it to his friend, earning a laugh from his teammates. Daisuke decided to take action, for he had to make sure his friend would be fine in someone else’s hands.

“Naito-kun.”

The young man, who’d risen to his feet, turned to look at him. “Yes, Daisuke-san?”

“You break his heart, I’ll break your jaw.”

Daisuke could hear Minami snorting next to him, but he paid him no heed. Naito blinked a few times, apparently trying to understand what he meant—it seemed like in that matter, he wasn’t _that_ know-it-all—before a smirk crossed his face. He leaned forward, so he was now in the same eye-level as Daisuke who was still seated.

“Please, don’t order me. I shall be no one’s _pet_ , Daisuke-san,” he said in a low tone. He blinked, and that was when Daisuke saw it. “But for Baba-chan and his antics… I think I’ll make an exception.”

With that, he straightened and left the two vampires as he went back to Hyoutei B, who laughed and commented about what he’d just done. Minami had to elbow Daisuke so he could return to the present. “What is it, Dai-chan?”

“Kei-chan… he has red eyes.”

Minami nodded. He looked slightly dazed. “And he smells just like BabaRyo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aren’t we all love protective!Dai and sneaky!Naito? :D
> 
> Some names and facts in case they're unfamiliar:  
> 1\. Sei is Seiji Fukuyama (Hyoutei B’s Gakuto Mukahi)  
> 2\. Masei is Masei Nakayama (Seigaku 3rd’s Sadaharu Inui)  
> 3\. Kato-san is Kazuki Kato (Hyoutei A’s, a.k.a the first, Keigo Atobe)  
> 4\. Aiba and Takuya, Naito’s predecessor (Hyoutei A's Jirou Akutagawa), are friends. They used to do street dance together, if I’m not wrong.  
> 5\. Takki (Yukihiro Takiguchi, Seigaku 3rd’s Shuichiro Oishi and our dear Shozou Akaike)/Setomaru (Kouji Seto, Seigaku 3rd’s Eiji Kikumaru) is actually from a collection of DaiMao drabbles I once read that features them (with KeiTomo too, actually).
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	5. Hybrid Children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A study in the vampire archive library bores Daisuke, so he comes up with an idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. Sorry, everyone.  
> I was real busy in the last three days. I finally graduate college! Woo-hoo!
> 
> Now, onward to the chapter.

“Why there are no records of him? What _exactly_ is this guy?” 

“Kei-chan, I think we should go. The sun’ll be up soon, you know.”

Minami glared at Daisuke, who huffed. That didn’t even discourage the younger vampire as he continued to dig through the archives. Daisuke yawned for the thirtieth time, earning another glare. An idea sparked in Daisuke’s mind, driven by his boredom. “Kei-chan, he might not be a vampire.”

“Is that so?” Minami put down the huge book he was holding. He looked determined. “You know, I still think BabaRyo lied about not having fangs. And if this Naito guy smells exactly like him, they probably belong in a same clan. Are you sure he’s not lying?”

Daisuke nodded vigorously. “That was the first time I saw him like that, and I’ve known that silly horse a long time. I would’ve known it long time ago if he were a vampire… even _I_ am not that stupid. And don’t forget that painting, Kei-chan. The person who saved me looked like him, a human being.”

“Right. Right. I forgot about that, sorry. Have any other idea, Dai-chan? I’m running out.”

“What if… they’re some kind of hybrid?”

Minami straightened and his eyes shone in wonder. “You mean a Vampire-Descent? I read about that, but never seen one. The last one we found died a long time ago.”

“That’s a possibility, since we don’t find anything in the vampire archives.” Minami abandoned the books on the table and went to fetch another one. Daisuke watched him in awe; this guy always seemed to know what to do. “Here it is! A book about Vampire-Descents, last updated in 2001. We never write down their names, since they’re mostly human and therefore mortal, but maybe we’ll get lucky.”

They didn’t. The book didn’t mention anyone in particular, only a few with photos and they didn’t know any of them.

“Let’s continue tomorrow or something,” Daisuke persuaded. “I have filming to do at nine.”

Minami closed the book, crestfallen. “Yeah. I don’t want to be locked in as well. C’mon.” They returned the books and walked leisurely towards the huge entrance. “Dai-chan, if they are really Vampire-Descents, at least it explains why BabaRyo didn’t die when he entered this place. He still has vampire blood in him.”

Daisuke nodded; he’d thought about it before. “What else did you find?”

“There are a lot of VD groups across Japan, but they have three major… let’s say, ideology. Side. Perspective. How they see vampires in general. This is inherited in the family, and shapes how the newborn VDs act around vampires as they grow up. We don’t call it clans because not all of them belong in a same family. They’re just VDs who unite under the same point of view, and plant their ideas to their children.”

“And what are they?”

“One is supporting our existence, one neutral and don’t care as long as we don’t bother them, and the last one is a threat. They oppose us greatly and hate their own heritage, and this may end up in them being vampire hunters. Shinjiro-san ended up killed the last one in 1962, as far as I can remember.”

“Since we know Ryouma’s fine with us, we don’t need to worry about him.”

“Indeed,” Minami agreed, closing the door. “What we need to find out is Naito-kun’s.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, I know. But it's better like this because a new conflict is coming... I think. Just stay tuned!  
> Chapter title is based on the manga Hybrid Child. Was thinking of it when I wrote this chapter.
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated ^^


	6. Die, Bloodsucker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minami can't go for another VD research because of an inexplicable reason.

The next day, both Minami and Daisuke couldn’t meet up for another research, because Minami was caught in a rather surprising situation, which was sugarcoated in the words of ‘sorry, Dai-chan, late work today’. Daisuke didn’t know about that until a week later, when his sleep was disturbed by a certain human. And also, as usual, he bought his reason of ‘wanna crash for the night’ and let him in.

“Do you know someone broke into Kei-chan’s house?” Vampire-Wannabe asked at one point, lounging on Daisuke’s couch.

Daisuke didn’t know about that, and it was what he told his friend. “When did that happen?”

“Last week, when he was out in a photo shoot, early morning most probably.”

“How did _you_ know about this?”

“He told me when he visited us this morning.” Something akin to guilt crossed Vampire-Wannabe’s face and Daisuke merely stared at him. “Actually, he asked me not to tell you, but I think I need to.”

“Why?”

Vampire-Wannabe pulled out a photo from his pocket and gave it to his friend. “He doesn’t want to worry you and that he can handle it himself. But I think you deserve to know, because you might be in danger.”

Daisuke examined the photo, and his eyes widened. It was taken in Minami’s living room wall, two words written in a blood-red color, with the paint slowly slid down the smooth surface.

 

**_DIE, BLOODSUCKER_ **

 

* * *

Daisuke didn’t talk about it when he saw Minami a few days later. Instead, he asked Vampire-Wannabe to tell him if he figured out something else. Since his human friend didn’t relay anything to him, only that Minami had changed his front door’s lock and re-painted the wall, Daisuke felt like everything was fine and the terror was a one-time thing.

Meanwhile, his time was robbed with work, because apparently what his manager said was right. The silver photo shoot—or _That One Day When We Fooled a Famous Jewelry Line_ , according to an extremely triumphant Vampire-Wannabe—had brought him more fame. The offers of more photo sessions—thankfully without any silver—and interviews and roles came like a waterfall crashing down on him. For that, Daisuke was grateful and made a mental note to treat Vampire-Wannabe and Naito to a lunch when he had some time to spare.

It was two weeks later that Vampire-Wannabe gave him a call.

“Dai-chan, I know it’s almost midnight, but this is important,” he began before Daisuke could finish his _moshi moshi_. The grave tone made Daisuke frown. “Kei-chan’s house’s been ransacked, but he can’t know I’m telling you.”

“Why?”

“Just trust me.” Sometimes, the human’s secretive attitude was infuriating. “He asked me to help him clean up, and I think you should come. Accidentally, of course. Make up some reason so you can show up there. Got it?”

Daisuke nodded, but remembered that his friend couldn’t see it via the phone line. “Alright. I’ll be there.”

“Meet me in the lobby first, okay? We’ll go up together.”

And so he did. Minami was too distraught to _comprehend why_ Daisuke was there, so that went by smoothly. Much to their relief, Minami’s stash of Doori’s blood was still intact, hidden behind the kitchen counter. The words **_DIE, BLOODSUCKER_** glared at Daisuke from the same spot where it’d been written the first time.

“Why don’t you report it?” Daisuke asked as he stacked Minami’s books before returning them to the bookshelf.

“And let the community know somebody’s been messing up with me?” Minami retorted. “Too dangerous, Dai-chan. I can’t risk Doori-kun any more than this.”

“Do you think the community has something to do with this?”

Minami thought about it for a while. “I don’t think so. The last thing they want is the human cops knowing what they’re doing. We have that kind of problem once, and it didn’t really end well. For them, it was better losing a vampire and his donor than getting themselves noticed by humans.”

“What happened in your last encounter with humans?”

“Our last hideout was burned to dust. That was why we moved to a nightclub. Nobody really cares.”

Daisuke nodded in understanding and they continued their work. At some point, he realized that the window had been broken; someone had thrown a brick into the apartment. It amazed him, for Minami lived in the fifth floor. Whoever did this was good at their job. He shrugged and continued to sort out Minami’s belongings and put them to the right place.

“Kei-chan, can I borrow your car?”

The question brought Daisuke back to the present. He and Minami both looked up at Vampire-Wannabe, who was standing before them.

And he was shaking with anger.

“Ryouma, what’s going on?” Daisuke demanded, rising to his feet. “Are you okay?”

“Come with me,” he hissed. “Can I borrow your car, Kei-chan?”

“Alright…” Confused, Minami tossed him his car keys. “But I’m coming with you.”

Daisuke found no choice but to follow, and thus the three men rushed to the parking lot together. “Ryouma!” he called, grabbing Vampire-Wannabe’s bony shoulders. It was hard to catch up with that guy, especially when he was high-spirited. “Tell us, dammit! What’s going on?”

Vampire-Wannabe’s eyes turned red. He blinked and it returned to normal. “I found something near the front door, Dai-chan. I think I know who did this.”

In his hand was a silver hair clip, as thin as a wire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	7. Apologize!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke and Minami find hatred towards their own kind.

If a cop was patrolling, Vampire-Wannabe would’ve been arrested for speeding. He drove like an absolute madman, which scared the two vampires in the vehicle. Daisuke was used to high speed driving, but this one was fueled by fury and he didn’t like it at all. And judging from the way a pale Minami gripped his car seat showed him that he wasn’t the only one.

They stopped in front of a two-story house, as plain as the other houses next to it. Before Daisuke could stop him, Vampire-Wannabe had jumped out and approached the front door. He pounded on the wood as if he were going to break it, and Daisuke had to hold him back.

“Stop that!” he admonished. “Do you want to wake the entire block?”

The door opened, and Vampire-Wannabe wretched himself off Daisuke’s grasp. Minami, who’d finally stepped in the doorway, inhaled in shock.

“I think you left something in my friend’s house.” Vampire-Wannabe’s voice was icy as he dropped the hair clip to the floor.

Taiki Naito watched it fall with wide eyes. 

* * *

“Apologize!”

The current Jirou Akutagawa actor automatically bowed in front of Minami. It was obvious that the action was forced. “I’m sorry, Minami-san.”

Daisuke watched the whole commotion in astonishment. They were now in Naito’s living room—Vampire-Wannabe had stormed in without waiting for permission, while Daisuke and Minami just followed him in silence—with the youngest of them all was bowing repeatedly to his friend. Vampire-Wannabe was standing behind him, watching him with arms crossed in front of his chest and a killing glare. He looked nothing like the happy-go-lucky human friend Daisuke had, and it made him wonder why he was so angry.

“I still don’t understand,” Minami replied with a frown. “Why did you do this to me? We only met once.”

Naito sighed and sat down. “Because you’re a vampire, that’s why. You’re a part of the community that I want to destroy.”

Vampire-Wannabe’s hand flew and hit Naito’s head. “Stupid!” he exclaimed. As Naito groaned and muttered his apologies, Daisuke saw anger slowly leaving Vampire-Wannabe’s expression. He sat down cross-legged next to Naito, sighing. “I guess that’s my fault too, for not telling you when you two met each other. Kei-chan here, he’s been banned since a few months ago. Don’t you support exiled vampires?”

Naito’s expression changed and he jumped to his feet. “I’m sorry, Minami-san! I really am!”

“Fine.” Minami ended with a huff. “Fine, you can stop bowing, Naito-kun. I forgive you. I don’t let you off that easily, though.”

“Naito-kun, is that why you helped me in the photo shoot?” Daisuke piped in. “Because I’m an exiled vampire?”

Vampire-Wannabe tugged Naito’s hand and he sat back down. “You can say that, Daisuke-san,” he answered. “You’re pretty famous in the eyes of Vampire-Descents like me and Baba-chan, so of course I’d help you, especially when I have the sources to do so.”

“Sources?”

It was Vampire-Wannabe who answered. “Taiki-kun comes from a family who sells jewelries,” he said. “Silver, in particular. He knows how to imitate them.”

“I’d love to show you my workplace, but I don’t think it’s good for your health. However, I support vampires that are banned from the community, because we have a mutual enemy.”

“Why the hate, Naito-kun?” Minami asked. “You’re not even a vampire. You just have a bit the blood of it from your ancestors.”

“Because being VD is hard, Minami-san. Getting things under control, to stop my eyes to turn red every time I’m emotional, is never easy. We have to bear being rejected by both vampire community and the human one. Those bloodsuckers even tried to murder me, which was why I moved here.” Naito sighed. “Baba-chan, however, is lucky.”

“How so?” Daisuke inquired. Vampire-Wannabe also watched the Hyoutei actor with interest.

“He was unaware of what he is until not long ago,” Naito elaborated, sounding businesslike. “He never has a problem with it. I, on the other hand, am different. I grow up with stories of how they should be destroyed. My grandmother was a VD, and she belonged in a vampire hunter group that managed to kill quite a lot of your kind. She was seen as a hero, and I'm proud of her.”

At his calm remark, Daisuke grimaced. “And you still think that? The hate?”

“It’s been shoved to me since my eyes turned red for the first time. Of course I still think that. Tell me, Minami-san, do they still take human teenagers to groom?”

Minami nodded and Naito closed his eyes.

“See? They still violate the rules. Daisuke-san’s rescue in 1691 has resulted in a restriction of having underage donors. Still, they take those kids and groom them, paying them so they can keep their mouth shut. That’s not right.”

“I helped them grooming those kids, Naito-kun,” Minami said, trying to defend his past actions. “It’s done so they’re used to us.”

“And why did you stop?” When Minami couldn’t answer, a slight smile crossed Naito’s lips. “You fell for one of them, right, Minami-san? I don’t think it’s a wrong thing, as long as you don’t turn them before they’re eighteen.”

“No. He’s still human. We don’t want anything to change until he’s old enough.”

“I appreciate that. Once again, I apologize, Minami-san. I should’ve known.”

“Do you terrorize another vampire’s house, by the way?”

Naito turned to Vampire-Wannabe, who asked, with a twinkle in his eyes. “Of course. I won’t stop until I can at least destroy a place they have. Minami-san, you do know where the grooming house is, right?”

“No, actually.” Minami’s words erased the playfulness in Naito’s expression. “They’ve moved somewhere I don’t know. At first we settled in the back of a hotel, but after Doori-kun got the role as Echizen, Shinjiro-san didn’t want to risk anything. He told me to be Doori-kun’s guardian—which was why I played Tez—and we stayed there while they moved out. It’s now empty, since I was banned.”

“Things don’t always go easy for me, huh.” Naito pursed his lips. “Thank you for the information, Minami-san. Please, if you know more, do tell. I can’t stand knowing that there are young humans being manipulated for money.”

Minami nodded. “I understand. Still, Naito-kun, you have to pay for what you did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we know who ruined Minami's house and why. What'll happen next? We shall see.
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	8. A Time to Hate (and Figure Out Backstories)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naito joins the study sessions, and a certain someone keeps watching him.

When Minami told Naito to pay, he meant it _literally_. Naito had to pay for the broken window, the paint for the wall, and the door. He also had to clean up the house and made it brand new (with either Minami or Daisuke or Vampire-Wannabe watching him, of course). It also forced him to miss a few Hyoutei rehearsals, but when Daisuke asked him about it, he said the punishment was fair enough and that he was okay with it.

Knowing that Naito was indeed remorseful, Minami accepted his apology and appreciated his efforts. He took the Hyoutei actor to the vampire archive library and they became something akin to study partners. Daisuke and Vampire-Wannabe were sometimes dragged to their ‘discussion’, which they endured with yawns and half-asleep comments. It wasn’t like Daisuke didn’t want to know his forgotten heritage, but he preferred his beauty sleep above all.

Sometimes he wondered whether they were more vampire than he was, and he was supposed to be the oldest!

However, Daisuke gained a lot of knowledge from that, and for it he was grateful. After Naito found the book about some vampire-supportive VD lineage, they learned that Vampire-Wannabe was a direct descendant of the person who had saved him in 1691. Vampire-Wannabe’s family line was involved with vampires for a long time, even married some of them, resulting in the biggest VD community in Japan. Ryouma Baba’s name wasn’t recorded, because he never showed any indication since he was young, which was why it was said that the VD’s line had ended decades ago.

Naito’s was a different story entirely. He belonged in the opposing group, one that had hunted down vampires for centuries. They viewed their heritage as a curse that made them an outcast in both human and vampire community. Most of them lived in hiding out of two major reasons: fear and anticipation—so they could attack every single vampire without being known. This resulted in the minimal, almost none, records on them.

At some point, Naito even theorized that the silver business his family had was a self-defense cover against vampires. It turned out to be an effective field of work, though, because no vampire community dared to bother them for a long time.

He also spoke about the murder attempt when he was a kid, happened not long after his eyes turned red the first time. Apparently it was heard by the vampire community in his hometown, so he was hunted down. A vampire attacked and left him for dead in an alley, and he would be if his grandmother hadn’t found him by accident. His family was terrorized for almost a year, which ended by moving young Naito to Tokyo. It also brought him closer with his grandmother, and he grew up hearing her stories about how bad vampires were.

Daisuke found himself understand _why_ the hatred existed.

Nonetheless, like Naito, opposing vampire-descents groups sympathized, and even supported, the exiled vampires. Almost all exiled vampires harbored hatred towards their former community, which ended in them joining opposing VD groups and became an inside force to destroy vampire communities all over the country.

“Why don’t you tell me where their headquarters is?” Naito demanded Minami at some point of their discussion, a few weeks after his breaking-in-incident. “I’m dying to know, Minami-san.”

“Because even though I’m banned, I don’t want you to destroy that place,” Minami replied. “They’re not worth it.”

Naito’s nagging never worked, and he knew that, so he merely leaned against his seat with a pout on his face. “Fine.”

Daisuke glanced at Vampire-Wannabe, who was watching the two younger men in the room with narrowing eyes. Amused, he nudged him.

“What?”

“You like that guy, don’t you?”

Vampire-Wannabe stared at him, affronted. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re looking at Naito-kun as if he were your pet, Ryouma. Yours and only yours. Possessive much?” Daisuke shrugged. “Just don’t want you two to end up making out in the fitting room somewhere.”

“Whatever.”

“It’s okay if you like him, you know. I don’t mind. Once he gets over his hatred on us, he’s nice enough to be with. And he adores you, you know, with Baba-chan this and Baba-chan that. Kinda looks like a puppy, he is.”

“Shut up, Dai-chan, before I make you.”

It had the opposite effect; Daisuke always loved to tease his flustered friend. “You’ve let your guard down, Ryouma.”

Vampire-Wannabe shoved him, they laughed, and the topic was gone with the wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short, filler chapter, I know. But things will happen soon.
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	9. A Vampire and His Donor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke meets Minami's cheeky donor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got 7.5 in IELTS. It's a great thing, right?  
> Here's something so you readers will feel my good mood. Enjoy!

When Daisuke was hit by insomnia two months later, he found himself in front of Minami’s apartment door. This was supposed to be an ordinary visit, done whenever he couldn’t sleep but had run out of TV show and DVDs to watch and didn’t want to bother Vampire-Wannabe. However, today wasn’t really that simple.

At first, Minami didn’t let him in, and it was just the beginning. “I’m in the middle of something, Dai-chan.” It was what he said, much to Daisuke’s amusement.

“Really?” Daisuke eyed him head to toe. “I see you’re still wearing your clothes, so I don’t believe you.”

Minami blushed. “It’s not like that.”

“Kei-chan?” a voice was heard from inside. “Who’s coming?”

An irritated look crossed Minami’s face and it clicked. “It’s okay, Doori-kun,” Daisuke hurriedly reassured from the doorway. “Your beloved’s just not letting me in.”

Doori joined the younger vampire in an instant. “Daisuke-san! Come in, come in!”

Daisuke did, and he heard Minami muttering ‘this is my house, not yours’ behind him as Doori led him into the apartment. The guest had to hide his laughter behind his hand.

“It’s been a while since we last met,” Doori greeted warmly. “How’s celebrity life?”

“Same old, same old,” Daisuke replied as he occupied Minami’s comfortable couch. “It’s late, Doori-kun, why are you still here?”

“Blood-donating, as usual. Sit down, Kei-chan, it’s okay.” The only human in the room grinned and tugged Minami’s hand, who’d closed the door and stood next to him. He turned to Daisuke. “We do this once a month, Daisuke-san, and I always love audiences. Last time, we had Baba-san and Naito-san, and it was fun watching them squirm.”

Minami shook his head exasperatedly. “You and your narcissism, Doori-kun.”

“But you love me anyway.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just do it so I can take you home.”

“Aww, kicking me out already? Fine, fine.” Doori stood and left the room. He was back within seconds, carrying a tray in his hands. When he put it on the table, Daisuke could see that the items on it consisted of a syringe and three vials. The boy sat back down and started to take his own blood and poured it to the open vials.

Minami moved so he was now sitting next to Daisuke. “That’s how we do it, Dai-chan.”

“You don’t want to bite him, do you?”

“No, at least until he’s older and can decide for himself,” Minami whispered so only Daisuke who could hear. “Naito-kun’s right, I can’t stand young humans being manipulated just so they can give us what we want.”

“Why do they want to be donors in the first place?”

“Money, Dai-chan. Most of them are desperate teens in need of money. They are also runaways who don’t have anywhere to live. For them, it’s better staying there and become a ‘test subject’ than staying with their family. All in all, they have a lot of reasons.”

“And your own donor? What’s his story?”

“Ask him yourself. He likes telling it, and will get mad when I do it for him.” He looked up, back to the boy. “Are you done, Doori-kun?”

“Yes.” Daisuke also looked up and saw the boy closing his last vial of blood. “Want to walk me home, Daisuke-san?”

“Me?”

“Yeah,” Doori replied. “We’re not really neighbors, but I live near your apartment building. So… shall we?”

Minami lifted his eyebrows at Daisuke, who sighed. “Alright.” 

* * *

“For a donorless vampire, you sure took it pretty well, Daisuke-san.”

“You mean how you did that blood donating?” Daisuke inquired as they walked leisurely down the street towards their houses. “Why should I be scared?”

“Naito-san needed a while to stomach what I did.”

“He’s not a vampire. But I am.”

“I know. But he’s seen a lot. I know he’s bothered because at some point he still thinks Kei-chan is using me, and he needs time to get used to the idea of donating-but-without-turning. He stayed, though, because he wanted to know if I really did that voluntarily.” Doori scoffed. “I told him that it’s much better than having your blood sucked dry to give to strangers, and I hope he understands. He still needs time to come around, but Kei-chan said he’s trying.”

“As far as I know, Naito-kun’s been hating vampires since he was little. But I’m glad he’s opening up.”

“Baba-san helps a lot, too. If not for him, Naito-san’d still terrorize Kei-chan’s and the others’ house right now. Kei-chan also says that Baba-san’s made a deal with him. If none of us is in danger, he shouldn’t bother any vampires’ lives. He told Kei-chan that Baba-san is the only person he can’t say no to. I think he likes Baba-san.”

“Yeah,” Daisuke replied absently. _The feeling’s mutual_. “Oh, Doori-kun?”

“Hm?”

“How did you get there? The grooming house, I mean.”

A huge grin showed on Doori’s face. “To make story simple, I ran away from home and I needed money. It was an ad of blood donation month that got me to Shinjiro-san and Kei-chan. We were taken in some place where they performed tests on us. I was one of those who passed, and was offered a place to stay.”

“Lucky you.”

“That was what I first thought. It was fun, like living in a dorm. As long as we obey the rules we’d be okay. For example, we can’t run away. I mean, we can go to buy groceries and such, but we’re guarded all the time, or they have the older kids, the ones less rebellious, to do it. One day, I accidentally saw how they punished the girl who tried to escape, and it was horrible. They sucked her dry and just threw her body to the river, Daisuke-san. Nobody ever finds her.”

Daisuke shivered, remembering the dungeon he was in centuries ago. The boy he’d freed, lying amongst dead bodies of his playmates, sucked too much they were beyond saved. He looked away from the street, to the building he was walking past. It was Theater Sun Mall, and it was closed for the night. He saw a young man with dark brown hair, long enough to frame his beautiful face, standing in front of the door.

The young man looked up, and their eyes met for a second. Under the streetlight, Daisuke could see his face, a bit plump—apparently he hadn’t lost his baby fat yet. His eyes were big and dark brown, matching his hair. Daisuke nodded, out of courtesy. The young man suddenly looked away and Doori tugged Daisuke’s hand, breaking his gaze.

“Daisuke-san, are you listening to me?”

“Huh? Sorry, Doori-kun, I was distracted.” They strolled farther away from the theater.

Doori huffed petulantly, but continued his story. “I saw the news of TeniMyu audition a few weeks later, when I was out to buy groceries for us. It’s not like we were abused or something, and I got the money I wanted, but I know there was something we need to do in return. When I confronted Kei-chan and figured it out, I realized that I didn’t want to do that.”

“Why Echizen? I mean, why did you even _consider_ auditioning?”

“If I get famous, they won’t be able to mess with me. I have fans and get into a management. Things will be much complicated for them because I’m a public figure. The least they can do is to make me stay on the right path, by not telling anyone where I live and making up stories about my adolescence years if I’m asked. I also get a guardian.”

“Kei-chan.”

“Well, back then I knew him as Motomura-san, and he was the only vampire who never saw the outside world for decades. I found out that they kept him there on purpose, so he wouldn’t go against them. Only Yo-san, the old man guarding those vampire archives, who was close to him. They often read books together when he visited us. Kei-chan was just as ‘groomed’ as we were, even though in a different way. According to Shinjiro-san, he was a ‘young vampire’, easily swayed by us rebellious humans. He was so nice to all of us, especially me. Always so eager to hear my stories, because he never has one on his own since the eighties.”

“You two were close from the start.”

Doori grinned proudly. “I chose him myself, you know. Blackmailing Shinjiro-san to get Kei-chan auditioning as Tezuka, so he could see another place aside from the grooming house. I also got Shinjiro-san to give us places to live and a private room in the nightclub. Don’t you see, Daisuke-san? Kei-chan’s also desperate to get out that hellhole, that’s why Naito-san can sway him that easily. He could forgive Naito-san almost immediately because he understands his hatred. He hates that place too. So, in the end, we kind of help each other.”

“I see. You have quite… an interesting relationship.”

“Shush, Daisuke-san. I’m in love with that guy and that’s the only way to say it. He loves me too. I know that, because he puts up with me the whole time.”

“Kei-chan’s right. You and your narcissism, Doori-kun.”

Doori laughed. “Perks of having a vampire hovering over you almost 24/7, that is. Speaking of donors, why don’t you have one?”

“You sound like Kei-chan,” Daisuke retorted. “I’m good with slaughter houses and retail blood.”

“If you have a donor, how do you want them to look like?”

Daisuke stopped walking, his mind flooded with memories. Big eyes, bruised ankles, tears, hair slick with sweat. Childlike laugh, plump cheeks, and dance on the grass. Doodles Daisuke did on the paper, based on the unknowing boy’s dance in the front yard. “I don’t know, Doori-kun.”

“It’s fine,” Doori, who also had stopped walking, reassured. “But please answer me, Daisuke-san. When I asked you that, do you think of the boy you’ve saved back in 1691?”

Daisuke was unable to answer, because something hard hit his head and all turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to one of the Wiki sites, Keisuke Minami’s real name is Keisuke Motomura.
> 
> And whoa. Cliffhanger! What'll happen? Just stay tuned!
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated ^^


	10. Suspicion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke is helped, he suspects someone, and Vampire-Wannabe is not happy.

The first thing Daisuke saw when he finally opened his eyes was beautiful dark ones, practically shining under the street lamp. They were wide with worry, but Daisuke didn’t know whose those eyes were. He blinked a few times and frowned. Damn, his head hurt.

“Are you okay?”

Vision cleared, Daisuke could see the person who asked. It was the young man he’d seen in front of Theater Sun Mall. “W-what… what happened?”

“I don’t know,” the young man replied. “Can you sit?”

“Y-yeah. I’m good.” Daisuke sat up slowly, and let the young man’s hand support his back. “Did you see who attacked me?”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I only saw you on the ground when I was walking home. This neighborhood is usually safe. Do you live far from here? I can walk you home.”

“No, no, it’s okay. Can you help me up?”

The young man nodded and stood, giving his hand. Daisuke grasped it and gingerly rose to his feet. “Thank you.”

“It’s fine. Are you sure you don’t need me to walk you home?”

“No, I’ll be fine.” Now that Daisuke had a better look on him, he was more like a boy, maybe around Doori’s age… wait. “Wait a sec.”

“What is it?”

“I was walking with a boy your age… where is he?”

To Daisuke’s horror, the boy shook his head. “I don’t know. I only saw you here. Alone.”

“Are… are you sure?”

Fear crept to the boy’s expression. “Yes. Should we call the cops?”

Daisuke contemplated it for a moment. He wanted to do that so badly, but couldn’t risk exposing Minami and Doori to the humans, at least not before he talked to Minami first. If this was related to the vampire community, Daisuke knew he couldn’t take actions by himself. “No, no. I’ll take care of it. I think I know who did this, so you don't need to worry. Thank you for your concern.”

With that, he turned and left, his strength had returned. As he walked away, he could feel the boy’s piercing gaze on him. His steps quickened, and he began to run.

* * *

Daisuke didn’t go to Minami’s apartment straight away. He had his suspicions, and he needed to confirm that before he could do anything else. He didn’t know how long he’d been running, for all he knew was that he stopped in front of a familiar two-story house. The windows were dark, and Daisuke knew the inhabitants were sleeping right now, but he didn’t have much time. He had to do it _now_ , so he rushed towards the door and pounded it as loudly as he could.

After a while of banging, it opened and the owner of the house looked up blearily at Daisuke. “What is it? I’m trying to sleep—Daisuke-san?”

Another voice followed the first. “Dai-chan, what are you doing here?”

Daisuke’s eyes widened. Behind Naito was Vampire-Wannabe, shirtless and rubbing his eyes.

* * *

The second Naito and Vampire-Wannabe knew Daisuke was attacked and Doori was most probably abducted, they woke up completely.

“Have you told Kei-chan?” Vampire-Wannabe asked worriedly.

“Not yet,” Daisuke admitted. “I ran here as soon as I realized he’s missing.”

Something dawned on Naito, and Daisuke flinched when he shoved him. It wasn’t a playful push; this one was done angrily and it surprised Daisuke that someone as small as him had such strength. “Are you suspecting me, Daisuke-san? Is that why you’re here now?”

“Taiki-kun!” Vampire-Wannabe chided, grabbing his shoulder. “What are you talking about?”

Naito jerked away from the other human, and sighed. “I’m sorry, but that’s what I think. Please, enlighten us, Daisuke-san.”

Daisuke saw no choice but to comply. “Yes. I’m sorry if my suspicion is false, Naito-kun. But you do understand why.”

Vampire-Wannabe eyed Daisuke as if _he_ were the one suspected. Naito, on the other hand, relaxed. “It’s fine, Daisuke-san. Thank you for being honest. But I didn’t do anything. Not this time.”

“He’s with me all day, Dai-chan!”

“Can you blame me for doubting him, Ryouma?” Daisuke demanded bitterly. “After what he’s done to Kei-chan?”

“It’s fine, Baba-chan, don’t worry,” Naito reassured before Vampire-Wannabe could speak more. He tugged both his and Daisuke’s hands, urging them to sit down on the floor. “Now, what should we do? Minami-san has to know about this, _immediately_.”

“Yeah, we should. But when?” Daisuke glanced at the clock on the wall. Three-thirty in the morning. “It’s almost dawn, and we need to get him alone. Nobody else needs to know, not even his and Doori-kun’s managers. It’ll be too dangerous if humans are involved.”

“He said he’s visiting this afternoon,” Vampire-Wannabe piped up, his tone gentler. “We’ll take care of that one. Go back home, Dai-chan, and take some rest.”

“Alright.”

“Should I take you home?” Naito asked. “You look so tired.”

Daisuke wanted to refuse, but the yawn that followed after made Naito more persistent. It was when he realized that it was only a few hours after he visited Minami’s house and watched Doori donating his blood. It felt like a long time ago. “C’mon, Daisuke-san. I’m wide awake anyway, and we don’t want you to collapse in the middle of a scene later this morning.”

* * *

Naito owned a motorcycle. Seeing that vehicle, Daisuke was absently reminded to Shouta, telling him that one of the current Seigaku actors once encountered Naito and Vampire-Wannabe on it. “Daisuke-san, hop on,” he called, handing Daisuke a helmet.

Daisuke obliged, and they went down a quiet trip that lasted for a few minutes. The vampire was in the verge of falling asleep when they finally reached the building.

“Thank you, Naito-kun,” Daisuke said, jumping down the motorbike and opened his helmet.

“No problem. Just rest, Daisuke-san.”

“Okay.” Something clicked in Daisuke’s mind and he stopped walking. “Oh, Naito-kun?”

“Yeah?” Naito was putting Daisuke's helmet back to its place when he replied.

“If you… if you’re _really_ involved with Ryouma, just… just be good to him, okay? He’s my friend.”

Naito’s lips tugged upwards, shaping a very nice smile. “You and Shouta-kun, both,” he muttered in amusement, shaking his head. “Please, don’t worry about us. He knows how to handle me, and I know how to handle him. Me and Baba-chan, we’re close because we’re both under the same situation for the rest of our life.”

“Vampire-Descents.”

“Indeed. And let’s say it grows from there.”

“I’m happy for you two. Really, I am.” Warmth flooded Daisuke’s insides and he realized that he meant it.

“I’m happy for us as well, Daisuke-san.” Naito grinned at him. “I’ll see you later. We’ll keep you updated.”

Daisuke nodded and entered his apartment building. By the time he entered his bedroom, he’d been so sleepy he’d fallen asleep before his body landed on the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this chapter (Daisuke running) is inspired by a song İçimdeki Sızı from a Turkish drama Kırgın Çiçekler (Orphan Flowers). I love that song.  
> Aaaand who helped Daisuke in there? What did Baba and Naito do before Daisuke came? Who knows, right? ;)
> 
> Naito on a motorbike is my personal headcanon. In my head, both him and Baba are experts at speeding.
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	11. Six Days, Written in a Special Font

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryouma finds a clue in a certain letter.

Minami was devastated.

Well. _Devastated_ was an understatement. He went into a complete breakdown, and he even rejected offers of interviews and photo sessions and missed filming. Despite that, they managed to keep it hidden from the others—lucky Doori was in a break for three weeks—and not even the rest of Minami’s Seigaku team knew about it.

Vampire-Wannabe, Naito, and Daisuke visited as much as they could. They’d often bring him dinner and crash in the apartment in case he had a nightmare. Daisuke shared his stash of retail blood when Minami was too caught up in self-depreciation to realize that he was running out. He refused drinking Doori’s blood, for he wanted to save it as much as possible, and depended completely on Daisuke’s retails. Naito desperately tried to find out where the nightclub—the headquarters—was, but Minami didn’t let him.

“I don’t want to risk anyone else, Naito-kun.” His voice was strangely calm. “I know how they work. If I don’t react, they’ll come and get me. Doori-kun’s too famous for them to just… kill.” He broke down in tears and spoke no more, while his three friends exchanged weary glances and tried to calm him.

Naito didn’t back off. He pestered Vampire-Wannabe and Daisuke as much as he could, but the two couldn’t betray Minami’s words. In the end, Naito gained nothing and sulked in almost all their visits.

Minami’s theory was confirmed six days after the abduction.

The three of them were crashing in Minami’s house when a letter was slid under the door. Naito, who saw it the first time, brought it to the others’ attention. Only four words, typed in a certain font, were written on it. What unnerved Daisuke was a bloody fingerprint marking the corner of it, and he didn’t need to ask whose blood that was.

 

**_COME, WE HAVE HIM._ **

 

Minami sniffed the blood on the bottom corner and closed his eyes. Daisuke was worried that he might faint or something. “They have him.”

“Yes,” Naito answered solemnly. “Do you have any idea where they might be, Minami-san?”

“No. My best guess is that he’s in the new grooming house, but I don’t know where it is.”

“Kei-chan.”

All of them turned to see Vampire-Wannabe, standing a bit further from them. “Yes, BabaRyo?”

“Can I see it?”

Minami handed it in silence. Vampire-Wannabe read the words with a frown, but then something dawned on him. “Taiki-kun, I think I’ve seen this font somewhere…”

Naito rushed to his side, reread the words, and shook his head. “I don’t remember.”

“Hold this.” Without waiting for any response, Vampire-Wannabe shoved the paper to Naito’s hand and left the room. The three men followed him in curiosity, and Daisuke glanced at Minami. He looked… hopeful, and it was a great thing to see.

Vampire-Wannabe rummaged through his backpack, and his friends watched him confusedly. Daisuke wondered what he was up to, until he stopped searching as he pulled out a piece of paper. “Look, Taiki-kun! This is the brochure of the place Seigaku and Hyoutei want to use for next month’s outing!”

Realization dawned on Naito as he grabbed the paper. It was an advertisement about a complex of guest houses, located on the top of the hill. There were five cottages promoted in it, and on the top of it was written _PICK ONE YOU LIKE, SPEND YOUR HOLIDAY HERE_ using a special font to make it more eye-catchy.

Naito compared the font in the letter with the one used on the paper, and it was exactly the same. “Gotcha,” he said, voice no higher than a whisper.

Daisuke shivered at the wild look on the youngest actor’s face. He turned to Minami. “Kei-chan, why are they using a very noticeable font?”

“I’m sure they’re not _that_ stupid.” Minami contemplated this for a moment. “I guess they _want_ to be found, Dai-chan. They take Doori-kun to get me… to do whatever they want. If they wanna do that, they have to let me know where they are.”

“I see. But what do they want with an exiled vampire?”

“That’s what I don’t know, Dai-chan,” Minami replied gravely. “But I’m sure they take Doori-kun for a reason. I’ve told him countless times to stay away from the community and the grooming house. It’s a miracle that they finally let us go after all Doori-kun's blackmails and threats… but I think he doesn’t listen to me. Really, sometimes I think that kid will be the death of me.”

“I wanna know why they take him as well, Minami-san. You know what? I’ll call in sick for today’s rehearsal,” Naito announced determinedly. “Jirou can sleep whenever he wants, can’t he? He sleeps _now_.”

Vampire-Wannabe agreed. “Me too. They can use Tezuka’s stand-in for today.” He pulled out his phone and sent an email to one of his teammates. Daisuke made a mental note to contact Kinoshita and also called in sick—besides, he had no filming schedule for the day—when Minami’s calm voice cut through his thoughts.

“We can’t go now.”

The three men turned to him in surprise. “What?” Vampire-Wannabe asked, gripping his phone.

“Why?” Naito added. “Minami-san, we’ve known where they’re keeping Doori-kun, why are you still waiting? Besides, we still need to know which guest house has him, and it’ll take time.”

“Kei-chan,” Daisuke said, trying to make the other vampire see reason. “You keep us hanging for days, you know. You owe us that much.”

Minami looked troubled. “I know. But I also know how they work, Dai-chan. I’m right about this letter, aren’t I? We’ll go tomorrow, I promise. Just trust me.”

“I’d love to trust you,” Naito protested. “But I still don’t understand. Why tomorrow?”

“They must’ve prepared themselves now. Since the incident in the… in their headquarters, they know that I’m not alone. I have you guys fighting with me. They won’t go as easy as they did back then, Naito-kun. It was what they always taught me; not to strike immediately. By this, I’m using their own strategy against them.”

Daisuke nodded reluctantly. “We’ll stay here.”

“Thank you. Now, go to sleep. We need it.”

And so they did. Even as he settled on the couch, with Vampire-Wannabe and Naito dozing on the floor, Daisuke couldn’t sleep until hours later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	12. Minami… no Shima kara kita Shikaku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naito calls someone who indirectly helps in cracking the code.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for the long-awaited rain, even though I'm soaked to the bone.  
> Enjoy this chapter!

When Daisuke woke up a few minutes after the sunrise, it was forced. His subconscious recognized the hands that were shaking him, and it was confirmed when he opened his eyes to see who dared to rob his beauty sleep.

“What is it, Ryouma?”

Vampire-Wannabe’s worried expression woke Daisuke completely. Something was wrong here. He repeated his question and sat up. In the process, he saw Naito standing before Minami’s bedroom door, with an equally worried expression.

“Kei-chan’s not answering the door.”

“What?!” Daisuke approached the door and banged on it. “Kei-chan, you okay? Kei-chan!”

No answer. Fear clouded the three men and Daisuke decided to take a drastic move. “We should break this door.” They did so, and the empty bedroom was what awaited them. The wide open window showed them what _exactly_ Minami had done.

“So he jumped from the fifth floor,” Naito spoke sourly. “He really doesn’t need us.”

“No, Taiki-kun. Look.”

On the bed was a piece of paper. Vampire-Wannabe grabbed it and they read it together. It was Minami’s handwriting, written in haste.

 

**_I’m sorry, but this time my theory isn’t proven right. They broke their own strategy to get me. By the way, Doori-kun sent his regards for you guys. “Minami no Shima kara kita Shikaku,” he sang.  
_ **

**_-Kei_ **

 

Naito inhaled sharply and closed his eyes. “Great. I told him we should’ve gone last night!”

“What does he mean in the end?” Daisuke asked, trying not to wallow in anger and betrayal over the fact that Minami had left them. “What is that?”

Vampire-Wannabe reread the last part and frowned. “Taiki-kun, I think I’ve heard these words somewhere but I can’t remember it. Help me out here. ‘He sang’, Kei-chan said. This should be a song, one that we know.”

It was Naito’s turn to reread the sentence. “ _Minami no shima kara… mi-na-mi no shi-ma…_ _minami no shima kara kita shikaku_ …” His tone slowly turns into a singing one and finally it clicked in his head. “Baba-chan, it’s Higa’s song! Remember the one they sang in our joint rehearsal?”

“You mean Dark Horse’s medley?” Vampire-Wannabe asked, his tone enthusiastic now. “Right, that’s the one! Why haven’t I thought about that before? Taiki-kun, you’re amazing!”

Naito beamed and Daisuke grinned at him. Sadly, their happiness was short-lived. “I still don’t understand,” the vampire began. “Why did Kei-chan write that and say it was Doori-kun’s words? Why did Doori-kun sing Higa’s song in the first place?”

“Maybe… maybe he was called, Daisuke-san,” Naito hypothesized. “When we were sleeping, I mean. Minami-san spoke with Doori-kun and that was how he got the song. It’s some sort of code, I’m sure of it.”

“You watch too many movies, Taiki-kun,” Vampire-Wannabe commented, trying to lighten the grim situation since they were still stuck right now. “But I guess that could happen, since there’s no way those bloodsuckers—sorry, Dai-chan—let him babble the exact place. How about the song itself, oh, our dear Sherlock Holmes?”

“Shut up. That’s what I haven’t known yet.”

The three of them sat on Minami’s bed and Daisuke asked for the note. He reread the words and a possibility rose in his mind a few minutes later. “Ryouma, Naito-kun, I’ve been thinking.”

Vampire-Wannabe and Naito bounced on the bed as they turned to face him. “Do tell,” they said on the same time.

“First we have the font used in the cottage promotion flyer you have for next month’s outing, and now the song. They must’ve been related… an outing and Higa. Higa’s outing, most probably with Kei-chan. Kei-chan was Tezuka and Doori-kun was Echizen… Seigaku, huh? Has the Seigaku team gone out with Higa or something?”

“Mine hasn’t, but maybe Kei-chan’s did. We need to find out.” Vampire-Wannabe straightened his sitting position. “Taiki-kun, you have Crawford-san’s number, right? He gave it after he saw you practicing Koori no Emperor.”

To Daisuke’s surprise, Naito blushed and shoved the current Tezuka actor playfully. “Stop it, Baba-chan. We’re having a situation here.”

“But I’m not lying, right? You have very nice hips, you know. Can I stand in front of you and—”

Before he had the chance to finish his words, Naito shoved him so hard he fell onto the floor. Daisuke watched the flustered boy in amazement and lifted his hand. “I don’t need to hear you two flirting right now,” he said. “Or ever.”

“Fine, fine,” Vampire-Wannabe climbed back to bed. “Call him, Taiki-kun, and ask.”

Naito fished his phone out from his pocket and dialed a number. He put it on loudspeaker mode so the other two men could hear. Luke Crawford, playing Eishirou Kite a.k.a Higa’s captain, picked on the third ring. _“Hello?”_

“Good morning, Crawford-san. It’s Taiki Naito. The new Jirou from Hyoutei?”

 _“Of course I remember you!”_ the cheery voice across the line replied. _“How are you and your dance moves?”_

Vampire-Wannabe grinned at Naito, who rolled his eyes. “I’m fine, don’t worry. I’m calling because—”

_“Yeah, yeah! I’m wondering why you’re calling me so early. Don’t you have practice? Me and the guys plan to stop by next week, you better be ready, Taiki-chan!”_

“That’s the thing. I’m not coming today. I have something to—”

 _“That’s too bad, Taiki-chan! Are you sick? It’s funny because Seigaku’s captain is also not coming. Are you sure you’re_ really _sick? You two are quite an interesting pair, you know. Well, if you ask how I know, blame Shouta-kun. He’s the biggest gossiper in the entire Seigaku generation.”_

Daisuke snickered behind his hand. Vampire-Wannabe blushed to the root of his hair and muttered ‘I shouldn’t have told Shouta earlier’. Naito, as flustered as his alleged boyfriend, desperately tried to get the conversation back on track.

“No, Crawford-san, it’s alright. I need to ask you something, can I?”

_“Of course you can. Go ahead.”_

“Has Higa ever gone outing with Seigaku? We’re planning to do one next month.”

Crawford laughed at the question. _“Yes, we have, but with MinaKei and the others. Yamabuki joined us a day after we settled there and the first Rikkaidai came two days after. So fun! You should’ve seen Takki’s face after we told him Setomaru fell down the hill. I swear those two better get it together before we make them! Do you want to hear about how we manage to get the whole Rikkai into the nearby lake?”_

“I’d love to, but I’m afraid I can’t right now, Crawford-san. Where was it?”

_“The outing? Do you know the guest house complex, Taiki-chan? We rented one of the cottages, the second biggest one. It was okay until Rikkai came, because we needed a bigger place. Most of us ended up sleeping outdoors, can you imagine that?”_

“So you guys used the second biggest cottage? Which one is it?”

_“Yes, the one with grey paint. Why, you wanna rent that one? I hope not. Seigaku and Hyoutei are a lot already, that place won’t fit. Well, unless you guys wanna stargaze at night. I heard you plan to take Fudomine and St. Rudolph too?”_

Naito shrugged, but Vampire-Wannabe nodded. It was enough answer. “Er, yes. I guess. To be honest, Masa is the one in charge for Hyoutei, so I don’t really know how things go for this outing.”

 _“I see. Tell your_ buchou _that I think it’s better to get the biggest one before Golden Week approaches, or you’ll run out of places to stay. Is there anything else you wanna know?”_

“I think that’s all. Thank you very much! I’ll see you later, Crawford-san.”

_“You’re welcome, Taiki-chan. Get some rest. Send my regards for the Seigaku’s captain. I know he must be nearby. See you next week!”_

Vampire-Wannabe sighed when Naito disconnected the call. “What a handful,” he muttered. “But at least we get the connection. Out of five cottages, we now know which one has Doori-kun and Kei-chan.”

Daisuke nodded. “Let’s plan, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some next chapters ahead will have three guys to the rescue. What'll happen? We shall see.
> 
> Naito and his 'nice hips' is the reference to Koori no Emperor/Hyoutenka no Jounetsu medley, sung in Dream Live 6th.  
> Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTelvlHKjwk (he's in the middle on 01:53). This is the first song that got me to Tenimyu altogether, so it deserves a pun XD  
> Koori no Emperor (Emperor of Ice) is one of Hyoutei's songs.  
> Minami no Shima kara kita Shikaku/Dark Horse is indeed Higa's song, also my favorite.
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	13. A Tour on an Unusual Floor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They kic.  
> They attac.  
> But first of all...
> 
> ...they picnic.
> 
> (a.k.a they don't attack at once... first of all, they do a picnic and a tour.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary's made based on a dog meme I once saw, which is funny. I find lots of amusement in this chapter XD
> 
> The original Eternal Moon is up! Go read that in FFN.
> 
> This is also updated to celebrate that, despite this is an AU. Enjoy!

An hour later, they were ready. Daisuke messaged his manager, telling him he wanted to stay at home. Kinoshita replied and said it was okay, as long as he showed up at filming tomorrow afternoon. Naito went back home to grab something and was back in thirty minutes, bringing a huge basket. When Daisuke asked about it, he said it was a cover.

“If someone sees us, just tell them we’re having a picnic,” he finished, and Vampire-Wannabe looked like he couldn’t be prouder. Daisuke nodded and reached for it, wondering what was inside, when Naito’s hand pushed his away.

“No need, Daisuke-san. I can handle it.”

Surprised, Daisuke withdrew. Naito’s tone booked no argument, and he decided to go with it. “Alright.”

The other question was how to go there. Vampire-Wannabe suggested that they rode Naito’s motorbike together, much to Daisuke’s amusement and Naito’s chagrin.

“Baba-chan, I know you’re as thin as my wallet when I’m broke, but that’s not a good idea.”

They continued to banter until Daisuke had to stop them. In the end, the only vampire in the trio called a taxi and they agreed to meet at the bottom of the hill. It was a one and a half ride, and they were already there when Daisuke arrived. Vampire-Wannabe looked a bit pale and Naito was smirking smugly at him.

“Remind me not to get on when you’re driving, Taiki-kun,” he said, wiping sweat off his brow.

“I just wanna get here as soon as possible,” Naito remarked. “You’re not the only one who’s skilled at speeding.”

“Lucky you’re not arrested, Naito-kun,” Daisuke intervened before they could banter even more.

The Hyoutei actor merely rolled his eyes and they hiked up the hill. Vampire-Wannabe was in charge with Naito’s motorcycle, pushing it as they went. Naito himself heaved that huge basket. Daisuke offered his help, which he refused.

“I’m good, Daisuke-san,” he said, obviously lying through his teeth. Daisuke gave up and let him. They continued their hiking until they found a spot on the hill, not too far from their destination. It was surrounded by trees, so it wasn’t easy to see them spying on the grey cottage. Exhausted, Naito put down the basket and Vampire-Wannabe parked the motorcycle on the nearest tree.

“Now, let’s get to work.”

The ‘work’ Naito meant began with a picnic, in a literal sense of the word. From the basket, he pulled out three bentos, water bottles, two cans of beer for himself and Vampire-Wannabe, and a bottle of retail blood for Daisuke. “I took it from the stash you gave to Minami-san,” he explained. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t. Thank you, Naito-kun.”

And so they ate while spying on the cottage. Like Crawford said, the one-story building was quite tall, with a big yard for outdoor activities. It looked more like a small dormitory than a cottage for spending a vacation. “Looks empty,” Daisuke commented, sipping on his retail blood. It calmed his nerves a little.

“Well,” Vampire-Wannabe reasoned, mouth full with rice. “It’s off-season, after all.”

“I wonder if this one is _indeed_ used as a grooming house,” Naito muttered. “There are no children around.”

“Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe they’ve moved it out again, and used this because Kei-chan is familiar with this place.”

“Why should they? Moved, I mean. Because tourists often come here?”

Daisuke thought about Naito’s question for a moment. “Perhaps they’re found out. Do you know how long these guest houses have been used for holiday destination?”

“I’ve looked it up,” Vampire-Wannabe answered, putting down his bento. “At first they only have three cottages for tourism. The last two—this one and the biggest which we want to rent for the outing—just came out last year. I asked Kane-chan on the way here and he said that’s why they could get that place with a low price, because it was new to the market.”

“I see.” Daisuke wiped blood off his mouth and returned his gaze to the building. “Can we look inside? Or should we ask for a tour or something?”

Vampire-Wannabe thought about it for a moment. “A tour sounds nice. Should we all go?”

“You two go, then,” Naito said. “I’ll stay. Someone has to take care of my motorbike, after all.”

* * *

Finding a tour guide turned out to be quite an easy job. Not so far from the cottage was a small house, and it was where the workers of the guest houses resided. Vampire-Wannabe introduced himself as someone who wanted to rent one of the cottages for Seigaku/Hyoutei outing, but still confused which one they would like to take.

“We don’t really want it too big,” he said, looking at the pictures of the cottages offered and pointing at the one they were spying on. “Maybe this one is more suitable.”

“Yeah,” Daisuke agreed, just to support his friend’s argument. “This one has bigger yard, too. You’ll make a bonfire, right?”

Vampire-Wannabe nodded. “Is that allowed?”

“Of course, but we have to be informed beforehand,” the tour guide, Mizuki, replied. “Come on, sirs, I’ll show you around.”

The cottage was totally empty. On the front, it had two big windows and an even bigger front door. The ceiling was high, with a lone chandelier decorating it, and there were more big windows on the side, giving an impression that this place was more spacious than it really was. There were only three rooms; two of them were designed for a huge sleepover. The main room looked more like a hall. A small kitchen was placed a bit further, near the back door.

“Mizuki-san,” Daisuke began. “Before this is rented as a guest house, what was it?”

Mizuki, a man in his forties, turned to him. “This and the biggest one in this complex were used as a dormitory for teenage kids with problems. Last year, they finally moved out, we bought it, and changed them to become a place for tourists. A good decision, really, because there are a lot of people who wanted to rent these two for group holidays.”

“I see.” Daisuke looked around. The walls were bare, save for a few paintings. The biggest one portrayed a ship, sailing lonely in the middle of the sea. It looked so nice that Daisuke wanted to take a picture of it with his phone. He walked a few steps backwards, and collided with Vampire-Wannabe who was standing behind him. It caused his phone to fall onto the floor with an echoing thud.

“Ow! Watch it!” the human protested. Mizuki turned to look at them, but Vampire-Wannabe hurriedly asked something to distract him. Within seconds, they had returned to their tour.  Daisuke muttered his apologies to himself and bent down to pick up his phone.

That was when he heard it.

Sounds from under the floor.

_“…Look at him, Kei. Look carefully.”_

Daisuke froze. He didn’t recognize the owner of the voice but he knew what he’d heard. He distinctly remembered that vampires had much better hearing than normal humans, so he let his phone on the floor and placed his ear next to it in case he could hear more.

His efforts weren’t futile.

_“That’s what you get for being so weak. You can’t even take care of one brat. Look at him, Kei-chan, look at your beloved Doori-kun. Look what we’re doing to him.”_

Daisuke straightened when he heard footsteps approaching. He scrambled to his feet and saw Vampire-Wannabe with a frown on his face. Daisuke looked behind him and saw that Mizuki was still a bit far from them. “What is it, Dai-chan?” his friend asked.

“I guess…” Daisuke tried his best to find reason. “We’ve found the one we’re looking for.”

Comprehension dawned on Vampire-Wannabe and he nodded. “Very well.”

* * *

Naito was still on his spot when Daisuke returned with Vampire-Wannabe. They didn’t waste any second to explain what they had found. Or, to be precise, what Daisuke had found, for try as he might, Vampire-Wannabe couldn’t hear anything from the floor.

“So you’re saying they have a basement?” Naito inquired.

“With a secret passage, most probably,” Vampire-Wannabe replied. “We still don’t know where it is.”

“You know, I took a walk around that guest house when you two were still with the tour guide.”

“Really? Did you find something?” It was Daisuke’s turn to ask.

“No. Nothing suspicious at the back yard. I tried to find a secret passage like you did, Daisuke-san, but nothing. We don’t have much time, but we can’t move now because we don’t even know how to get there. It’s not good to be caught in broad daylight, especially since Mizuki-san knows your faces.”

They slumped on the grass in defeat. Daisuke lied down and closed his eyes. For a long time, nobody spoke. After a while, one of them broke the silence.

“Hey.”

“Yes, Ryouma?” Daisuke asked sleepily, and at the same time Naito muttered, “What is it, Baba-chan?”

“I have an idea. Crazy, but it’s still an idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Baba-chan, I know you’re as thin as my wallet...” is actually taken from a review/rant I read about BabaRyo's performance in Musical Bleach, written in Indonesian. I just find it very amusing.
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	14. Fight Scenes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke fights, along with his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter has some fight scenes, and believe me it's more... intense(?) than Story II.
> 
> Please note that I own nothing but the story and original characters.
> 
> Updated also because I need a happier distraction from the piano exam. Really hate that. *cries all over that musical instrument*  
> Enjoy!

__

When the sky had darkened, Daisuke sat up and picked his black jacket. It wasn’t the one he’d worn in the fight in the nightclub, but it looked quite the same. He put it on and stood. Naito looked up at him and opened his mouth.

“Ready, Daisuke-san?”

“As ready as I can be.”

“Good. Wait here.”

Vampire-Wannabe also stood and they watched Naito opening the basket. He pulled out something from inside it. “There’s a reason why I don’t want you to touch this basket, Daisuke-san, even though I really wanted you to because that thing is just so heavy. Take this, you might need it.”

In Naito’s hand was a dagger, neatly placed in its brown sheath. Daisuke stared at it in surprise. “What’s this, Naito-kun?”

“This was my grandmother’s silver dagger, but as long as you don’t touch the blade you’ll be fine. I modified it, so if you’re in danger, just press the small button over here.” Naito pointed at a small, almost unnoticeable button on the tip of the holder. “When things are safe, press it again and put it back. This is the best thing I can give you, so… good luck.”

“Thank you, Naito-kun.” Daisuke let Naito tie it on his belt before covering it with the jacket.

“Don’t forget to open the window once you’re sure, Dai-chan,” Vampire-Wannabe added, giving him a small hair clip, this time wasn’t a silver one. “That’ll be our signal.”

Daisuke took it from his friend’s palm. “Alright.”

And so he went.

* * *

The sneaking between the trees to get to the back door wasn’t too difficult. Daisuke was able to blend with the darkness to get to the empty guest house. Within a minute, he managed to reach the back door and break the key. As expected, the whole building was empty. _Off-season_ , Vampire-Wannabe’s voice echoed in his head. More of his words followed as Daisuke walked in and closed the door behind him.

_My idea is one of us getting in, finding the secret passage, and giving the rest a signal so they can get in._

Daisuke had volunteered, for he was the strongest of them, and if he were caught, Naito and Vampire-Wannabe could work things out together and help him. He was sure Naito had more weapons up his sleeve. Or his _basket_ , if one wanted to be more literal. Cutting the thoughts so he could concentrate, Daisuke tiptoed to the place where he’d heard the voices under the floor. He strained his hearing as he knelt on the smooth surface, trying to catch more of the words.

Nothing he could hear. Grunting to himself, he stood, and remembered something.

_When your phone fell it made an echo, Daisuke-san? I’m thinking that it’s not a common floor._

Naito’s words stunned him. Knowing that he had to act fast, he knocked the floor gently. The sound of it echoed in the empty room. Daisuke braced himself, but nothing happened, so he moved and repeated what he’d done. He continued to do so until he was a bit far from his first knocking point, and it no longer echoed. So, not all the floor was made of the same material. Daisuke straightened, feeling rather satisfied. He was going to look for the secret door when he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He backed off to a secluded corner near the kitchen and opened it. Vampire-Wannabe’s name was on the screen, and his message opened almost immediately.

_Dai-chan, vampires are coming! If you can’t get out, open the window quickly!_

Daisuke turned to the back windows and saw dark figures approaching. Knowing that he couldn’t get out from there, he rushed to the front room.

That was when he heard it.

“Trespassers! Trespassers! Get them!”

It happened so fast. The back door slammed open and a group of vampires emerged. Daisuke ran and ran, but some of them apparently got in from the front.

Surrounded!

Daisuke gripped Naito’s dagger once he saw one of the vampires jumping towards him. He swung it sideways, slitting the vampire’s neck. One fell, but the others kept coming. Daisuke hit them one by one as he tried to get to the front window. The dagger was already full of blood when Daisuke reached the window.

“Stuck!” he yelled to no one in particular. He looked down and saw that it was locked. Knowing that he had no more time to mess with Vampire-Wannabe’s hair clip, he stabbed the lock with his dagger, damaging it completely. When he opened the window, he swore he could see his friends from afar, smiling and waving at him. He turned back at the vampires as he heard one of them shouting.

“Kill that trespasser! He’s trying to get away!”

Thanks to the adrenaline and fear, Daisuke transformed into his real form. That didn’t even sway the attackers as they kept launched themselves towards him. One of them managed to trip him and it made him land on his back. Scared, he rolled a few steps away from the window, his dagger ready.

The vampire that had tripped him jumped over, ready to kill him once and for all. Panic gripping him, Daisuke hit the button on the dagger and his eyes widened at the effect.

The short blade _lengthened_.

It was no longer a dagger… it became an arm-length _sword_.

Daisuke watched as the silver blade ran straight through the vampire’s chest and out his back. A screech of pain and anger was heard, but Daisuke didn’t know where it came from. Realizing that he had no time to stay stunned, Daisuke jumped to his feet and released his weapon from its victim before readying himself for the next attack.

That was when he saw it.

A huge figure jumped from the outside through the window and straight towards the floor. Daisuke needed a second to realize that, from the silver flash, it was _Naito’s_ _motorcycle_ , with silver items tied to it. He’d seen Naito tying them, a while after he and Vampire-Wannabe were back from the tour.

It felt like it happened in a slow motion.

Nobody told him that it was _why_ Daisuke had to open the window. He watched as Vampire-Wannabe bolted upwards and swung his thin body on the chandelier. Just like in the nightclub, he picked silver things from his bag and threw it towards the ones that were going to grab him. They fell and stayed on the ground.

“Behind you, Dai-chan!”

Daisuke turned and stabbed another vampire.

Naito and his motorcycle hit the floor, the one where Daisuke had heard the voices from.

The floor _shattered_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're not done yet. How was it?
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	15. Naito's End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Much to Ryouma's horror, Naito ends something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last part of the fight scene! Hope you enjoyed it so far!
> 
> At first I want to hold this off until tomorrow, because I'm quite down with the flu and long staring at the screen won't do good for my head. But oh well, I've been stashed this chapter for a while and updating it via the phone won't hurt... much. XD
> 
> Once again, enjoy!

Everything seemed to stop. After managing to defeat all his attackers, Daisuke rushed to the edge of the floor—which was now a big, square hole—and saw Minami tied a few meters away from where Naito’s motorcycle landed.

Doori was there too, but his eyes were empty and in his hand was a knife. Daisuke smelled a familiar scent of blood and he narrowed his eyes at the former Seigaku actors, trying to see more. Minami’s neck was bleeding and judging from the bloody knife Doori was holding, it wasn’t hard to figure out who did it.

Vampire-Wannabe threw silver coins for the last time—they rained the secret room, causing the vampires to scream—and swung so he could land next to Daisuke. “Let’s go down,” he urged, his red eyes shining in the dark. “I think Taiki-kun managed to break the floor.”

Daisuke noticed a small stairs at the corner of the room and they went for it. When they’d reached the secret room, the sight that awaited them was shocking.

Doori was watching Minami with empty eyes, his hand gripping the bloodied knife. Minami sat without moving, his eyes shiny with unshed tears and blood streamed from his neck. Naito drove his motorbike to shield the two of them; the silver tied on the vehicle drove most of the vampires off. Daisuke fought some who tried to jump at them, and Vampire-Wannabe etched silver coins on their faces.

Naito joined them in a second, and Daisuke found out why as he huddled closer to Vampire-Wannabe.

“Doori-kun’s under hypnosis, Baba-chan! Help me get him out!”

“How?!”

More vampires jumped in from upstairs, deliberately avoiding the motorbike. Daisuke stabbed more of them as he moved to the side, trying to get them further from Doori and Minami. Vampire-Wannabe, apparently ran out of items to throw, grabbed a silver goblet from the motorcycle and threw it towards the approaching vampires.

“I don’t know!” Naito replied. Daisuke saw him holding a dagger, similar to his. “Quick, while Minami-san’s still awake!”

“What?!”

Daisuke rushed to the other side of the room and saw Vampire-Wannabe leapt behind the motorcycle, snatched Doori’s knife, and slid it on the floor, away from them. Between the fight, he could see clearly what his friend was doing. Minami looked up at him and muttered something that Daisuke could catch amidst the loud voices from his sword and the screams.

“Echizen…”

Vampire-Wannabe understood immediately and he gripped Doori’s shoulders. Daisuke almost missed a vampire because he was busy watching the scene a few meters before him. He knew that scene; he’d watched it rehearsed a hundred times.

“Echizen!” Vampire-Wannabe called out, in his best Tezuka imitation. “Be the pillar of Seigaku!”

 

Naito slit a vampire’s neck and ran upstairs.

Daisuke stabbed another as he managed to get back near the motorcycle.

Doori snapped out of it.

 

“Buchou?” It was his first question. It turned into a scream as he saw blood on Minami’s neck. “Buchou! What happened?!”

“We need to get outta here,” Daisuke urged. “Naito-kun’s upstairs. I think he’s trying to stop them from coming.”

Vampire-Wannabe grabbed the silver items tied to the motorcycle. “Cover me, Dai-chan. I’ll take these and you can get Kei-chan and Doori-kun out.”

“How?!”

At this point, Vampire-Wannabe had managed to take all the silver and ran upstairs. Daisuke killed the remaining vampires before stopping. No more came, but there were screams from above his head, indicating that both Vampire-Wannabe and Naito were doing their job. He turned to Doori. “Are you okay?”

“I feel lightheaded,” the boy answered. “But I’m okay. Kei-chan, though…”

Daisuke pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and tied it around Minami’s wound. “We heal faster than you,” he explained. He pressed the button of his sword and it resumed its original form. With the dagger, he cut the ropes binding Minami’s hands. “You didn’t seem to cut it too deeply, Doori-kun. He’ll be okay.”

Tears began to appear on Doori’s eyes. “I didn’t know I did that. They… they made me. They took a lot of my blood and they controlled me.”

“It’s okay, Doori-kun. It’s okay. Come on. Let’s get outta here.”

“Kei-chan can’t walk, right? We need Naito-san’s motorbike.”

“How do we get it upstairs?”

Doori thought about it for a second, massaging his head to keep himself on track. He ran towards the stairs and felt the wall near it, obviously looking for something. “I was brought here on a wheelchair, Daisuke-san. They made the stairs disappear. Wait, ah!” He pressed a spot on the stone wall, and it deepened as the staircases straightened and turned into a ramp. “C’mon, Daisuke-san, before more of them comes!”

“Alright.” They managed to get Minami on the vehicle, and Doori settled behind him. Daisuke made sure the boy was gripping his jacket before starting the engine. That amazing motorcycle roared to life, and they drove upstairs.

Not many of the vampires remained standing when they reached the upper floor. Vampire-Wannabe was still throwing them silver items, and it let them stay on the ground, some moaning in pain. Daisuke winced; he knew how bad a silver item could impact them.

“Ryouma!” Daisuke called. “Let’s go!”

“Okay! Where’s Taiki-kun?”

Daisuke didn’t see him, but Doori did. “There he is, Baba-san!”

Naito was across from them, at a corner of the room. He was holding out his dagger towards someone, and Daisuke recognized him as Mizuki, the tour guide.

“Taiki-kun!” Vampire-Wannabe called, but was ignored. Daisuke strained his hearing.

“How does it feel?” Naito asked, his tone bitter. “To leave a little boy to die in an alley? Just because he has _a drop of your kind’s blood_?!”

Comprehension dawned on Daisuke. “Ryouma, it’s Mizuki-san!”

“Huh?” Vampire-Wannabe, who’d got closer to Naito, turned his head at Daisuke with a frown. “What is he doing here?”

“He was the one who tried to kill Naito-kun when he was a kid!”

Vampire-Wannabe’s eyes widened, and Daisuke had never seen him petrified like that. “Taiki-kun! Let’s get outta here!”

“No!” Naito yelled back. “I have an unfinished business, Baba-chan! Leave, now!”

“Damn it, pet!” The nickname slid easily from Vampire-Wannabe’s tongue as if he’d used it on regular basis. “You promised!”

“I can’t! Leave!” Naito lifted his other hand, and Daisuke saw him holding something resembled a small remote control. Vampire-Wannabe ran towards him but stopped when Naito showed him the device, his thumb hovering over a red button.

“You don’t have to do this! You said you won’t let hate overcome you!”

“Baba-chan, leave!” Naito’s eyes found Daisuke. “Daisuke-san, leave! Take those two away from here! Minami-san needs help!”

Knowing Naito was right, Daisuke obliged, and drove towards the open front door. “Naito-kun, don’t do anything stupid!”

“I won’t, don’t worry. Mizuki-san, though, has to know how I feel.”

And he pressed the button.

Daisuke saw the explosion coming from the back before he heard it. Acting on instinct, he drove with full speed out the house as the fire caught the whole cottage. The last thing he saw from his two friends was Vampire-Wannabe dashing towards Naito.

Once they’d stopped in front of the now burning guest house, Doori bounced down the motorcycle and let Daisuke off to see his friends. Daisuke ran to the side to see that Vampire-Wannabe had escaped through the side window, the one next to Naito when he threatened Mizuki. The relief he felt was unexplainable.

“Ryouma! Ryouma!” he called as he knelt next to the body. “Wake up!”

“I’m fine, Dai-chan. I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” Vampire-Wannabe sat up gingerly, and Daisuke saw his arms around Naito, who was unconscious. His eyes had turned back to his normal color as he looked back down at his fellow actor. “But, damn it, pet… Taiki-kun, why did you have to do that?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next one is the last chapter. Well, you do know where the 'pet' nickname comes from, right?
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	16. Talks under the Cloudy Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisuke talks with two of his friends and uncovers some stories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! Enjoy!

Naito woke up a few minutes after Daisuke carried him back to the forest. Vampire-Wannabe helped Minami to walk while Doori dealt with Naito’s motorcycle. From between the trees, they watched as the fire ate the whole building. Vampire-Wannabe picked the basket he’d hidden behind the bushes and distributed the remaining water bottles to his friends.

“We need to get outta here,” Naito muttered as he sat up. “I’ll drive.”

Vampire-Wannabe looked like he wanted to smack Naito’s head so badly. “No, I’ll take care of it. You should call a taxi or something to take them home.”

“Don’t be stupid, Baba-chan. Minami-san and Doori-kun need our help. We can’t get them home now.”

“I’m fine,” Doori reassured.

“No, you are not!” Vampire-Wannabe and Naito replied at the same time. Daisuke hurriedly stopped them before things could escalate.

“You two are like kindergarteners sometimes,” he complained. “Now, what should we do? Naito-kun’s right, Ryouma, we should get away before the fire department comes and sees us. Kei-chan, are you okay?”

“Still dizzy, but I’m good,” Minami croaked out. “Gimme a day to rest and I’ll be fine.”

“You shouldn’t talk too much, Kei-chan.” Doori was immediately next to him, patting his shoulder. “I don’t want you to be alone, at least until you’re better.”

“I can get you two in my house,” Naito suggested. “Me and Baba-chan have rehearsals in the morning, but you can stay there. My family’s back in my hometown ‘till next week.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Daisuke agreed. “Now, the question is _how_ to get there?”

* * *

It was almost midnight that Daisuke and Minami stepped out the taxi to the road that led to Naito’s house. They didn’t want to take a risk of Naito’s residence being found out, so they walked for a few minutes to reach the neighborhood. Doori went back with Vampire-Wannabe and Naito, despite his protests. Minami said he didn’t fit in the motorcycle, and someone needed to be there in case Naito insisted on driving.

As expected, the rest of them were already there, even though Vampire-Wannabe didn’t even go half as fast as Naito had been earlier this morning. Naito had prepared a room for them to crash, and he himself fell asleep as soon as he reached his own bedroom. The same happened to the rest of them.

Well, all except Daisuke. Sometimes he wondered why insomnia liked him so much. After an hour of trying to sleep, he found himself sitting on the floor and staring out the window of the makeshift bedroom, while his friends sprawled under the futons Naito had prepared for them. Daisuke flinched when he heard a rustling sound behind him. He turned and saw Vampire-Wannabe sitting up.

“Can’t sleep, Dai-chan?”

Daisuke shrugged. “As you can see. Why are you up?”

“Lately, I can’t sleep knowing someone’s awake in the same room. I think being a VD has sharpened my senses.” He sighed. “And I’m still a bit mad.”

“At Naito-kun?”

Vampire-Wannabe rose to his feet. “Come on. I know you like the rooftop, so I’ll take you there.”

Unlike other houses, Naito had an access to the roof. So, in a matter of minutes, Daisuke was sitting on the roof, carefully positioning his legs so he wouldn’t fall. Vampire Wannabe settled on the ‘door’ that connected the attic and the roof, since he wasn’t sure he could keep his balance if he followed Daisuke’s footsteps.

“I remember you going to the rooftop of tall buildings when we first came to Tokyo.”

“Me too. Feels like yesterday.”

“Not really. It was years ago, before we get into the world of entertainment. Imagine if some paparazzi got it to the news. Or the fact that you drink blood and can’t wear anything silver. Has Taiki-kun told you that he locked the real jewelry line guy in the closet so he could help you?”

That wasn’t something Daisuke had heard before, so he shook his head. “How did he do that?”

“I didn’t tell him to do that! I thought he could just get in because you’d wear it yourself.” Vampire-Wannabe smirked. “Well, actually I kind of did. I told him to _persuade_ them. Not knocking out and locking him in a janitor closet. He was lucky nobody saw it, or his career would be over by now.”

“He surely has a way with things.”

“Indeed. Speaking about Taiki-kun, Dai-chan, do you know that to some vampires, VDs are more threatening?”

Daisuke shook his head. Actually, he’d heard about it in Minami/Naito study sessions, but he just wanted to have something to talk about. “Why is that?”

“Because they can look like vampires but have no weaknesses. Taiki-kun and I can hold silver just fine, and they’re scared of that. Some of them see us like a perfect experiment result and some see us as a threat and allowed to be killed in cold blood. When I was a kid, I grow up with stories of vampires. Sometimes my family told me not to be like them, and back then I didn’t know what it meant. I guess I understand now. Taiki-kun, however, is a special case.”

“Are you still mad at Naito-kun?”

A sigh. “Yes. When he told me that he’d planted a bomb when we were with the tour guide, I made him promise that he wouldn’t let hate take over him. He wouldn’t blow that place because all those vampires weren’t worth it. When his grandmother died, he told himself that he’d let it go if he found another VD in this country, because it means he wasn’t alone.”

“He found you.”

“That’s why I’m so angry at him, because he broke his promise. I don’t want him to be like his grandmother, living with animosity for the rest of her life.” He paused. “But there’s no use crying over the spilled milk, right? I just hope… after all of this, he’ll really get over it.”

“It’s hard, Ryouma. But at least he has you.”

“I know. Our VD groups are very different, right? I can’t change his upbringing, but I think I can still change his point of view. And one more thing, Dai-chan.”

“What?”

“We’re not dating, despite what you and the others think. We’re just friends, so stop your ridiculous thinking. I wonder how on earth those people have that kind of thought. It’s tiring, you know, being lectured by half of Hyoutei B. I really should kill Shouta for this.”

“So I won’t have a footage of you two kissing in a fitting room?”

“If I have you hook up with your Kikumaru on a bed first. Or a sofa, since you seem to be so interested in it, Minami’s in particular. I heard there’s this hotel, really beautiful, that has a good sofa to make out on. Hope you’ll get a chance of filming there.”

Daisuke snickered. “Whatever floats your boat, Ryouma.”

Vampire-Wannabe laughed with him but he was interrupted by a yawn. “I think I’ll catch some sleep. Coming, Dai-chan?”

“No.”

“Fine. See you later.” With that, Vampire-Wannabe returned to the bedroom.

Daisuke was left alone, and he continued to stargaze until he heard something. “Who’s there?”

“Me. Can you help me get there, Daisuke-san?”

“I don’t think the height will be good for you, Doori-kun.”

Doori sighed. “I’ll stay here, then. May I?”

“Of course.”

The boy reclaimed Vampire-Wannabe’s former place and looked up at the sky. The clouds came and covered most of the stars, but neither minded. “It’s beautiful, right? I like cloudy skies. Starry nights are just overrated.”

“Why are you awake?”

“Baba-san accidentally woke me up. He didn’t know he did, but I can’t go back to sleep. I saw the stairs leading to the attic, so here I am. I know you can’t sleep because you’re not in the room with the others. And before you ask, I’m no longer lightheaded. I’m yet perfectly healthy, but I don’t see fogs in my eyes anymore.”

“Glad to hear that.”

They watched the stars in silence until a question that nagged Daisuke prompted him to ask. “Doori-kun, why did they take you?”

“I guess it started on Kei-chan’s selflessness. It drove me totally bonkers, Daisuke-san. He kept saying things are better this way, and that those bloodsuckers aren’t worth it. I went with it, until I met Naito-san not long after he got the role as Jirou. Once I found out he’s a VD, we talked a lot. I didn’t like letting things the way it is, and Naito-san’s traits really rubbed on me, so I decided to do something.”

“What did you do?”

“I searched for my old friends. Some of them were still there. I asked them where the new grooming house was and they told me, which were the two biggest cottages. We just burned one of them. A few weeks before Seigaku outing with Higa and the others, I came there and threatened the guards. Told them I’d go to the authorities and claim that the grooming house is illegal and the kids are guinea pigs for experiments. They listened to me and moved. I’m famous; people—humans—will listen to me. Some of my friends were able to run away, too, which was the best thing.”

“But why did they take Kei-chan too? Did he know about that place?”

“No, he didn’t. And they didn’t take him. Kei-chan came voluntarily because I managed to send the letter. You know that one, right? The one with the special font. I had to cut my finger so Kei-chan would recognize it was from me.”

“You sent that?”

“Yes. I had someone sneak out that cottage and slip it under Kei-chan’s door. I know, I know. I basically lured him in, but I thought he’d come with Naito-san and you and Baba-san. I heard about you fighting, y’know, in the nightclub. You guys are strong, and Naito-san is a skilled fighter.” Doori groaned. “I never thought he’d come _alone_.”

“He came alone because you called him.”

“That one happened after they found out I sent the letter. The girl I asked to sold me out… and they still killed her anyway. They forced me to talk to him, and I sang so _only_ he could know where _exactly_ I was. They wanted to punish me, famous or not. They wouldn’t dare to kill me, but they could scar me for life so I wouldn’t go against them anymore. Kei-chan just got dragged because he was supposed to watch over me.”

“Why did you do it?”

“I just… I can’t stop thinking about my old friends, and how I wanted to take revenge on what they did to us, me and Kei-chan in particular. That’s why I did it.”

“We almost lost you and Kei-chan, y’know.”

Doori rubbed his face. “Yeah, I figured. They took a lot of my blood and hypnotized me. They made me cut Kei-chan’s throat. I didn’t know I did that, but I almost killed him.” His voice cracked. “I won’t be able to forgive myself if I did.”

“You didn’t and he’ll be okay. Once he gets his hands on his stash of your blood, he’ll be as good as new. Naito-kun checked for his wound and he said it’s almost closed up completely.”

“Thank you, Daisuke-san. Thank you.”

Silence returned over them once again. This time, Doori was the one breaking it.

“Daisuke-san?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m still curious about you.”

“Spill.”

“If you met someone who matches your donor criteria, what’ll you do?”

Daisuke closed his eyes and groaned. Not that kind of question again. He turned to stare at Doori, and his mind played the image of a sleeping Minami, his neck wounded and bleeding. He remembered the dancing boy and his pleas, and he closed his eyes to a recent memory of mesmerizing big, brown ones belonged to a boy who’d helped him when he was found lying on the sidewalk.

He knew what to answer, and apparently the former Echizen did too, for he nodded even before Daisuke opened his mouth.

“I’ll keep them protected, Doori-kun, at all costs.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we've reached the end of this story. Thank you, thank you sooo much for following this series.  
> The end is kinda abrupt, but I think it fits.  
> I just wanna write badass Taiki and BabaRyo (on a motorbike and swinging on the chandelier—you know the song, right? XD) and sword fighter Dai-chan. And yeah, the boy who saved Daisuke after he was attacked is Mao (he’s only a few months older than Doori so he’s around 16), but they haven’t known each other yet.
> 
> This story is mostly made as an outlet of anger, so I apologize if you feel a lot of hatred in it. These days are really hard for me, particularly because I’m forced to face someone I loathe in daily basis.
> 
> Please note that I don’t own anything but the story and the original characters. 
> 
> Should I continue this story? Tell me what you think!
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


End file.
